60 Minutes of Matthew Solas
by maskedmarth
Summary: Focusing on the revamp Wind Archer - Matthew Solas.
1. death

**kinda sorta graphic maybe ?!**

**Maple 60 Mins Prompt: Death  
>Words: 1310<strong>

**uses fanmade names;  
><strong>_Red!Warrior: Henry  
><em>_Red!Thief: Jyu  
><em>_Red!Mage: Anne  
><em>_Red!Archer: Lilia  
><em>_Red!Pirate: Serena_

_Revamp!Wind Archer: Matthew_

* * *

><p>A hand grasped tightly and painfully in his hair. There was a warning growl as he raised his head slightly in pain, and he let out a little breath.<p>

He checked his injures. A cut on his eye that would likely scar, and he kept that eye closed as he blearily looked around. There was a cut on his side that hurt whenever he was forced to stretch - the same with his shoulder - his ankle was probably sprained or even broken by how much it hurt whenever he shifted on it … A multitude of bruises and minor cuts covering his body … And he was pretty sure that his wrist was broken, and some of his fingers too.

Around him, he could smell blood. In front of him - he could see the Adventurers that came to salvage the defeat the Cygnus Knights had suffered. Most of the injured had escaped - Matthew insisted they get everyone out before they thought of touching him. He had even refused healing, and Henry had reluctantly asked Anne to start healing others.

It was his mistake - the Black Wings had come back as the Cygnus Knights were almost fully retreated. They grabbed his brother, ignoring the sharp cry of pain as his injuries were jostled, and they forced him to his knees - something he didn't really mind, but …

Henry stood in front of him, about a few meters away. Behind him was Lilia, who had a look of barely held anger on her face, if the tight grip on her bow said anything. The thief - Jyu, Lilia had told him once - was shaking in rage. Anne had a concerned, but fierce look on her face, and Serena seemed almost … upset.

They were all mad - Henry and Lilia, he could understand, but the other three …? That was just strange. He wasn't really friends with them … But they were all worried for him, and for what would happen to him. Was it because he was the youngest? He was four years behind most of them, and he didn't that was much of an age gap … But - he was also Henry's loved younger brother, and from what Lilia _had_ told him, Henry talked about him a lot.

There was a sharp voice, and his brain registered it as his commander's, Lady Irina. He must've looked awful - he surely felt so, a throbbing pain in the back of his head, blurred vision from all of his wounds … His right hand was broken - it would take awhile to heal, and he wouldn't be able to shoot a bow for a long time after …

"Von Leon," Irina's voice hissed, "Let my student go."

The hand twisted, and Matthew winced, slightly leaning backwards in an attempt to lessen it. "Why should I?" The man spoke, pulling at brown locks. "You didn't let my _wife_ go. Why should I let this child free?"

There was a clank of armor, and he figured that Henry took a step forward in warning. Matthew was shoved forward slightly, and there was a shift in the wind that told him a blade was drawn - and presumably, placed above his neck. It worked - Henry went back to where he was standing, but his face was pale and his grip on his sword was suffocating.

"If you don't want _children_ to get hurt, Commander, perhaps you shouldn't put them on the battlefield." Von Leon's voice was cold, and his grip loosened just a little bit. It was obvious that he didn't think of Matthew as a threat - and he drew his lips into a thin line. He would not be pitiful. As a Cygnus Knight, the first rule was clear - fight until you _die_.

He took a deep breath. And another. And he closed his eyes to focus, to gather the soft wind around him. He had no regrets - but he can't let the others here get hurt, so he channeled all of his hatred for the Black Mage, his anger at ruining his relationship with Henry, and drew all of it into one fierce storm.

The wind exploded around him, forcing Von Leon to fly back and collide against the ground, and Irina countered with dispersing it before it could hit her or the Adventurers.

Henry ran towards him, and he felt himself being gathered up in warm, gentle arms. He could see green eyes above him, a shade so similar to his own, and tears falling on his face. Green hair entered his sight on the other side, and he heard the tail end of a scolding.

"What was the first lesson I told you, Matthew!" Irina spoke harshly, but her hands were gentle as they tried to hold him together for Anne to heal him. "Don't use your wind when you're so heavily injured!"

Matthew gave her a weak smile, trying not to close his eyes as exhaustion ran over him. "But … It worked, didn't it…?" He spoke faintly, feeling warmth flow through him as Anne tried to heal him. Pain lessened - but he wasn't sure if anything started healing. Coughing lightly, he stared up into Henry's worried face.

"Commander - he's not healing," Henry spoke, worry evident in his voice. "Why is … he not healing?"

Irina swallowed - and Matthew gently stroked his brother's arm where he could. Both of them knew the answer - but it didn't make it any less heartwrenching.

"When we summon our own wind," Irina spoke, a hand brushing out Matthew's fringe from his eyes, "we use part of our soul to do it. It's imperative that we don't when we are heavily injured … But this _idiot_ here decided it would be a good idea."

She took a deep breath. "If we do, there's a chance that we will never heal. And Matthew's injuries are much worse than most."

He gave a weak smile, shifting where he was. It was silent - likely, the five were digesting the information, and Henry seemed shocked to silence. His brother was _dying_. His little, baby brother, was dying.

Henry gathered his brother's face in his hands, brushing at his cheeks and sobbing. "Matthew …" His voice broke, and he gently pulled his brother to him. "Matthew, shh … It'll, it'll be okay, alright? You'll be able to see mom and dad …" He brushed his hair away, tears running down his cheeks as he desperately wished for it to be otherwise.

Henry let his head rest on his knees, holding his brother's healthy hand gingerly, as if he was about to break. Matthew's grip was weak, and he was barely warm. Likewise - his eyes were hazy, a little glassy, and he blinked up into the sky with blurry vision.

"Henry … Is that … mom?" He mumbled, voice distant and far away. "She looks so much like us … But we got dad's eyes." His grip slackened a little bit, and Henry fumbled to keep his hands together. "They're calling me … They want me to go." Matthew let out a quiet breath, closing his eyes … "I'm so tired."

Henry brushed his hands through his brother's hair, tears running down his face as Matthew stopped breathing, and his hand fell limply from his grasp.

A warm breeze waved through the meadow, and sun shone, despite the light pattering of rain.

A week later, he stood in front of a white marble gravestone planted near a patch of bright sunflowers - white marble sticking out heavily in the field of yellow. Lilia stood next to him, red hair flowing in the wind, a slim hand reaching to meet his own.

_Matthew Solas ;  
>Lieutenant of the Wind Archers.<em>

_Beloved leader, teacher, student and brother._

And just like that - he was the last one left.


	2. lies

**Prompt: Lies**

**This derailed SO much from what I originally intended, but it ended out kind of good regardless.**

**Words: 1210**

**Revamped!WA - Matthew  
><strong>**RED!Warrior - Henry  
><strong>**Revamped!Striker - Blake**

* * *

><p>He hated lying; he hated faking his feelings and pretending like everything was okay. It wasn't.<p>

He loved his job - loved teaching others how to fight, how to work in a unit, and then an army ... He loved helping those who were struggling, and challenging those who were not. Every part of being a lieutenant was his favorite - except when he had to break it to someone that it was _not_ going to be okay. Because that's war - and he may love his job, but he also hates it.

The first time he lied wasn't to a random stranger - it was to his own brother.

They were arguing about something stupid - something that brings Matthew to frustrated tears even now - and the three words had slipped out before he could stop them. He didn't mean them - he could never mean them, not to someone who has always tried to help him along, no matter how estranged or how far apart they were. He loved Henry, sometimes more than himself at times, but he was frustrated and angry, and they slipped out.

_"I hate you!"_

The look of shock and distress on Henry's face hit right into his heart, and he could see his brother's face become guarded - passive. His brother tended to do that a lot when he was angry - and Matthew could never truly read how he was feeling.

_"Then get out of my house."_

The words were spoken, a lance piercing into his gentle heart, and Matthew could see tears welling in his eyes. He swallowed them down, lips drawn into a thin line. Turning on his heel, he left the Perion house and traveled back to Ereve.

Someone approached him - but they saw the look in his eyes, and they backed away. Looking back on it, he figured that it was probably Blake - she was more in tune with his feelings than any other, and he figured that Xiphen would try to calm him down, or Aischeron would try and help him out ... But Blake - she probably figured out that he wanted to be alone. And he did.

He must have sat under the backside of Commander Eckhart's tree for god knows how long - angered at himself for hurting his brother, angered at the world for separating them ... Angered at fate for forcing them apart. He wasn't stupid enough to say that he could've chosen a different path - no, the way he could shoot an arrow so gracefully, aim perfectly, the way he knew people and could talk to them ... He was essentially born to be a Wind Archer - to be Irina's second.

There was so much pent up anger inside of him that even Commander Eckhart noticed the wind building up, and someone stood in front of him later on - dark clothing and furred cloak, mask tilted downwards. Matthew looked up with a mixture of anger and fear in his eyes, and Eckhart just tilted his head slightly to make him get up.

He stood.

Eckhart walked away with the silent command to follow, and follow he did. Through the forest, paths and trails, until they reached a large clearing on the other side of the island. The commander turned around, slipping off his mask and looking at Matthew with hard, violet eyes. He had to wonder if they were always that color - or if something had changed them when he accepted Umbra within him.

"You're frustrated," he said simply. "And it is a detriment to those training, as well as those not."

Matthew winced - Eckhart rarely trained, considering he was likely the best thief of the generation, but he kept a careful watch over the island to make sure nothing went wrong. And if he saw it fitting to bring Matthew here, away from everyone, then something was definitely in store. He fidgeted slightly, arms behind his back, head bowed down slightly in apology.

"Irina has informed me that you are progressing well in training," he continued, pacing towards him a few feet. "And, I suppose it is finally time for me to train you myself."

Matthew held back a look of surprise, but he did let his look of confusion through. "Commander Eckhart ... I'm afraid I don't understand." Was it kept this secretive that not even Matthew, a lieutenant, knew? The better question - did Aischeron even know? Shaking his head clear, he shifted where he stood, letting out a deep breath.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Eckhart spoke casually, as if he was waving off a child. "I've kept it a secret until I've had to reveal it to someone, and then I force them to swear that they won't tell a soul."

He furrowed his eyebrows together, but the commander shot him a look to stay quiet and watch, so Matthew straightened up and kept his eyes on the black haired man. He watched as Eckhart, took in a deep breath, hands outstretched. A tense moment hung in the air, and he watched with his breath held, before he saw shadows swarming towards the figure, surrounding him for a moment before they shot outwards, and Matthew had to move swiftly to dodge the incoming attack, eyes wide.

Eckhart lowered his hands, eyes open and bright, before he looked over at Matthew carefully. "That is something called a hyper skill. By gathering your pent up emotions, you can mold into a fearsome attack." He moved away slightly, gesturing with one hand for Matthew to come into the center. "That is what you must do. If you wish to keep your anger in check - keep Ereve from harm ... you must unlock your hyper skill."

He disappeared, cape flourishing behind him as he walked away. Matthew stared after him with confused eyes, but he frowned ... He set his eyes on his hands, lips in a thin line as he thought. Was he really that much of a danger? Ventus thrummed in his soul a quiet yes - but he could feel the wind spirit pushing him along the right track as a breeze came by, warming his heart.

It was an hour before he could summon enough wind to even try, and Ventus forced him harder - told him to do better. He closed his eyes - focused on his fight with Henry, no matter how much it tore at his heart, and felt wind gather around him, whipping his cape and hair around ... He held his breath, keeping his eyes closed - feeling everything well up inside him until it burst - and wind cascaded outwards, billowing past him and forcing Matthew to dig his heels into the ground so he didn't blow away.

His heart felt lighter - and he opened his eyes to see a few bushes overturned, and Ventus appeared next to him, an ethereal spirit, smiling over at him.

_"You feel better,"_ he spoke, laying one spiritual hand on his shoulder. _"You did it, you know."_

Matthew gave a bright smile over at his friend, looking into the sky. He felt awful for hurting Henry so - but ... he felt so much better.


End file.
